Fairfax City Council, Mayor Candidates Square Off: See Key Races

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Fairfax City voters will head to the polls Tuesday to decide the 11th congressional district race and who will be serving as the city's new mayor and sit on the city council and school board. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In 2021, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law moving municipal races from May to November. This will be the first time Fairfax City races will be on the November ballot.

Critics of this move say that having the city races coincide with the statewide and national races in November would lead to more partisanship. Although voters will have to wait until all the votes have been counted for a final determination on that point, accusations of partisan politics have emerged in the current City of Fairfax election.

Shortly after early voting started on Sept. 23, election volunteers began handing out sample ballots produced by the City of Fairfax Democratic Committee containing a list of candidates whose values matched those of the committee's.

Traditionally, city candidates have run as independents in non-partisan races, as mandated by both the city charter and the Code of Virginia.

The Democratic committee said its ballot was not an endorsement and countered accusations of partisanship by pointing to a fundraiser mayoral candidate Sang Yi hosted in June, which was attended by Republican luminaries such as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Two weeks before the election, 20 current and former elected officials representing Fairfax City mailed out a letter to 6,000 registered voters criticizing the partisanship that had emerged in the 2022 city election.

That letter and an "independent/non-partisan" sample ballot was handed out to voters who had come to City Hall on Oct. 29 to vote. The sample ballot highlighted seven candidates and included the notice: “Paid for by concerned citizens of Fairfax City. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.”

It was later determined that an employee of Sen. Chap Petersen, who was one of the 20 signatories of the "non-partisan" letter, had delivered the independent/non-partisan sample ballots and copies of the letter to the polls on Oct. 29.

A representative of Read's campaign, as well as incumbent city council candidates Jon R. Stehle and D.T. “Tom” Ross, filed complaints about the independent/non-partisan sample ballot via the Virginia Department of Elections' Stand by Your Ad form. They claimed the ad was misleading and failed to identify who had financed it. The State Board of Elections will review the complaints at its next scheduled meeting in January.

In addition to accusations of partisanship, the Fairfax City election also saw an uptick in political contributions, especially in the mayor's race.

At the end of September, Yi and his opponent Catherine Read reported receiving a combined total of more than $210,000 in contributions in 2022, according to campaign finance filings published by the Virginia Public Access Project.

In the final financial filing before Tuesday's election, Yi and Read's campaigns reported receiving $169,089 and $90,048, respectively, in contributions in 2022, according to VPAP.

In Fairfax City, the following candidates are running in the mayor, town council, and school board races:

Mayor

• Catherine S. Read
• Sang H. Yi

City Council

• Billy Bates
• Kate Doyle Feingold
• Jeffrey C. Greenfield
• Joseph D. Harmon*
• So P. Lim*
• Anahita N. "Ana" Renner
• D.T. "Tom" Ross*
• Craig S. Salewski
• Jon R. Stehle Jr.*

School Board

• Stacy Hall
• Amit S. Hickman
• Sarah M. Kelsey
• Rachel M. McQuillen
• Carolyn S. Pitches*

* Incumbent

Voters had the opportunity to learn more about the candidates running in the city election at a Sept. 29 meet and greet at American Legion Post #177 and Oct. 19 candidate forum at the Sherwood Center.

In the 11th congressional district, incumbent Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Fairfax) faces Republican challenger Jim Myles. The 11th congressional district is considered solid Democrat in the 2022 Cook Political Report's House race ratings.

Connolly is in his seventh term as the representative for the 11th congressional district, is a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, is chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and is a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He previously served 14 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, including five years as the chairman.

Related: Partisan Politics Emerge In 2022 Fairfax City Mayor's Race

Myles, the Republican challenger, is a retired federal judge and U.S. Air Force veteran. He was chosen as a candidate during a May Republican convention.

After redistricting, the 11th congressional district still contains all of the City of Fairfax and Herndon, but borders are adjusted elsewhere. The redrawn map no longer includes parts of Prince William County and contains more of Fairfax County.

How to Vote on Election Day

In both the City of Fairfax and Fairfax County, residents registered to vote in Virginia can vote in the election by visiting their polling place between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Voters who are in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. To check your polling place, visit vote.elections.virginia.gov or see maps of precincts in Fairfax County and in Fairfax City.

An acceptable form of identification is required for in-person voting in Virginia.

A sample ballot for Fairfax City residents is available here.

A sample ballot for the 11th congressional district in Fairfax County is available here.

Early voting at Fairfax City Hall started on Sept. 23 and ended on Saturday.

Mail-in ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 8. If returned in person, City of Fairfax voters may be drop off their completed ballot at the drop box at Fairfax City Hall, the Office of Elections, or at their voting precinct by 7 p.m., on Tuesday.

For Fairfax County voters, a ballot drop box is available until 7 p.m., on Nov. 8 in front of the Fairfax County Government Center. Ballot drop boxes will also be provided during voting hours at all polling places from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 8.

How to Register to Vote or Update Voter Registration

All Virginia voters who are not on the list of registered voters will still be able to submit a same-day registration at their polling place on Nov. 8. Provided they accurately fill out the same-day registration in its entirety, they'll be able to cast a provisional ballot.

Related: Fairfax City Residents Meet One-On-One With Mayor, Council Candidates

Voters are encouraged to check their registration status online or by call the Fairfax County Office of Elections at 703-222-0776, TTY 711. Residents can find more information about the Nov. 8 election and voting at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections.

Voters may confirm their polling place by visiting Vote.Elections.Virginia.gov/VoterInformation. Questions about polling places may be directed to the Fairfax County Office of Elections at 703-222-0776 or [email protected].

Where To Find Election Results

Unofficial election results will start to come in after polls close at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 on the Virginia Department of Elections website. Follow Patch on Election Day for live coverage of congressional election results.

For more information about the upcoming election or voting, visit the Fairfax City Voter Registration & Elections. County residents may visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections.